Sovereign Base Areas - Cyprus

Cyprus

Akrotiri and Dhekelia are United Kingdom's Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) on Cyprus, a former British Crown Colony. The British Forces Cyprus are stationed there to defend them, and they contain a British defence radio listening post, and the only full-fledged Royal Air Force air base in the Mediterranean region (since Gibraltar does not have any aircraft permanently based there), called RAF Akrotiri. In addition to its garrison, the United Kingdom also makes a contribution to the United Nations' peacekeeping force on Cyprus. In total, some 3,500 British personnel are based on Cyprus.

Civilian laws are enacted by the British civilian authorities, but they are patterned on those of the Republic of Cyprus. Many Cypriots work in the SBAs, mainly for the British authorities or as farmers, or for a few local businesses. But only those Cypriots with a local connection are permitted to live there, such as those who live in Akrotiri village or in the outskirts of villages neighbouring the bases. Also the villages of Xylotymvou and Ormidhia are exclaves of the Republic of Cyprus surrounded by the Dhekelia SBA.

The two Sovereign Bases on Cyprus are a British overseas territory, but instead of having a Governor, like other such territories, it has an Administrator, who while being appointed by the British Sovereign, is responsible to the British Ministry of Defence, not to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Administrator is concurrently the Commander of British Forces Cyprus. Although both the United Kingdom and Cyprus are members of the European Union the SBAs in Cyprus are technically outside of the European Union.

There is a ITU radio call sign (radio prefix) for the Sovereign Base Area, ZC4, which is distinct from that of Cyprus (where "5B" is commonly used). For the purposes of amateur radio, the two Sovereign Bases are considered to be one separate entity.

The SBA covers an area of 98 square miles (250 km2) of Cyprus (47.5 at Akrotiri and 50.5 at Dhekelia). However, the British Government does not own all of the land. The British Ministry of Defence owns only 20 percent of the land, with 60 percent privately owned (farmland) and the remaining 20 percent of the land being SBA Crown land, including forests, roads, rivers, and the Akrotiri Salt Lake.